My CCW ER Visit

I have been intentionally holding these photos back for a while. Sometime over the summer I suffered a minor injury that was directly related to my activities in shooting. While not rising to Level One Trauma Center significant, it was decided I needed medical attention. And I was armed the whole time.

Disclaimer: in no way am I giving, or even qualified to give, legal advice. I will leave that between your lawyer and your god. So think of this as more of a confession on my part. Bless me father for I have sinned, I haven’t obeyed a posted no-CCW sign since 1991.

My Thinking: There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to grow up and take full responsibility for his actions. For better or worse. Fairness has nothing to do with it. If me carrying a handgun for self-defense in that facility were to have become a problem, I would not have made excuses. I decided many years ago that standing tall before the man while making my case is something I am willing to do. And here is another shocker for the sheltered types, I don’t need a judge to tell me what is right from wrong either.

My Point: Taking responsibility isn’t a part-time endeavor. It’s a way of life. It’s a moral compass. It will guide you in all things. But like any skill or muscle, it needs regular exercise or it atrophies. Treating people with respect. Keeping your word. Following through on contracts and commitments. Being intellectually honest with your own self-assessments. Admitting when you are wrong. Acknowledging you don’t know everything. Not kicking people if you don’t have to. Blah…blah…blah most will say. They don’t want to hear it unless it involves flash-bangs and plate-carriers. Maybe the following point will help?

A little closer. No VP9 Detectable.

A little closer. Stretched arm to make worse. Still not obvious to the untrained eye.

My “Tactical” Point: There will come a time in life when one is presented with two equally bad choices. The lawyers, the tacticians, the experts and the know-it-alls won’t be there. And actually, regardless of which decision you make, those same do-nothings will be the very first to criticize and judge. It’s how they derive their power and social standing. That’s a false idol. Real power is knowing who you are and what your place in the universe is. Real strength is acknowledging right from wrong the second you see it. Real courage is looking in the mirror and having no regrets. Real situational awareness is deliberately choosing to be the person you want to be every moment of every day.

I’m countinly amazed at how little thought or effort is put in on the subject by the gun community. If you are fond of saying things like, “Ted Kennedy’s car has killed more people than my gun”, you would be correct. But there’s a funny little warning built into that statement as well: Guns don’t make mistakes, people do. Guns don’t lie, people do. Guns don’t take responsibility, people do. Guns don’t stand tall before the man, people do.